Reinforced frangible material building unit



May 31, 1938. R. L. nAvgsoN 2,119,313 REINFORCED FRANGIBLB MATERIAL BUILDING UNIT 2 Sheets-Sh eat 2 Filed ma 7, 1935 INVENTOR R0 rr LI qv n H l ORNEY Patented May 31, 1938 REINFORCED FRANGIBLE'MATERIAL nunmme UNIT Robert L. Davison, New York, N. Y., assignor to John B.'Pierce Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 7, 1935, Serial No. 20,129

3 Claims. (on. 7268) My present invention relates to prefabricated building units, and more particularly to an 'improved peripherally reinforced frangible material building slab.

In certain forms of building units, particularly building slabs or panelssufliciently small to admit of ready handling and assembling into a-wall, it is advantageous to make the same of relatively light frangible material, because of the desirable qualities as respects surface finish, or capability of surface finish, as well as high soundand heat insulating qualities generally possessed by such type of material. ,Such slabs or panels, however, are normally insuificiently strong to have formed as an integral part thereof a peripheral groove extending around their edge faces for keying in with other wall structure in a building construction.

lnzmy resent invention I have devised an improved buildingslab construction, in which the. peripheral edge faces of theunit are reinforced by a relatively rigid framework, preferably of strip-metal, in which is formed the necessary groove for the'reception of a key or tongue. Also, preferably, the frame reinforce for the peripheral edge faces lies flush with such faces, and is spaced apart inwardly from the edgesthereof. Such reinforce enables the slab after manufactrim to be handled by ordinary workmen, without serious danger of injury to the peripheral edge faces, and provides for easily and positively tying the slab with other structure in a building construction. Thus, the objection heretofore raised against the use of a frangible material as a building'slab is effectively overcome. 1

My reinforce is of special advantage in combination with building slabs and other units formed ,of molded material, to afford ready removal from the mold substantially free from danger of chipping and/0r fracture. The accessibilityof the metallic and/or other relatively more rigid elements of my reinforce serves as mechanical means for stripping the composite unit from the mold after the molding stage has ensued.

g The principal object of my invention therefore, is an improvedreinforced building slab of frangible material.

Another object of my invention is an improved combined reinforcing and groove containing element for building slabs.

Other objects and novel features of the conretraction and arrangement of parts comprising my improved slab will appear asthe description I ofthe inventionprogresses.

In the accompanying drawings,

building slab embodying my invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an improved Fig. 2 is an elevation of my improved reinforcing prior to having the building material incor- I porated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-5 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6. s S

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I0 designates a rectangular build"- ing slab of a relatively light frangible material, such for example, as the relatively light weight porous material, having high heat and sound insulating qualities, disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,932,971, Hutteman and Czernin, assignors to FrederickO: Andere'gg, granted October 31, 1933, entitled Method of making light weight blocks. As appearsin the above stated .U. S. patent, the production of slabs of the light weight porous material includes the treatment thereof for the removal-of water and other aqueous content which is not chemically occluded in the calcium. hydrosilicate comprising the light weight slabs.

Asusually constructed, such slabs. Ill are rectangular in form and of any desired various sizes,

and of a thickness, the preferred thickness being I integral part thereof, a relatively deep groove I4.

Such members I2, and I3 are preferably formed *of light metal, such as metal of No. 20 gauge in thickness, and in constructing the frame as shown in Fig. 3 the corner portions of the members I2 and I3 are mitfred, as indicated by the reference numeral I5. Such corner elements I5 are preferably welded together to form the frame. Because of the shape and position of the groove ll,

"the resulting frame possesses high rigidity.

It is noted that the exposed faces of the members I2 and I3 coincide with the peripheral edge -of the slab! and that the overall width of the members I2 and I3 .s substantially less than the thickness of such building slab It, so that the metal of which the members I 2 and ii! are constructed, is not exposed to view in the completed wall or partition.

In associating the framework shown in Fig. 3

with the building slab ID, the rectangular frame is preferably placed in the mold in which the slab i0 is formed to embed the frame in the slab duringthe casting of the latter. With material of the nature of the stated calcium hydrosilicate, it is essential that the moisture to be removed from the porous solid calcium hydrosilicate have free paths of flow to the major faces of the slab. Particularly, it is essential to avoid, in the structure of the stated reetangular frame, the formation of pockets or traps formed by non-permeable members between which are contained masses of the stated calcium hydrosil-icate or analogous materials.

When utilizing a plurality. of building slabs, such as the slab It, in the building of a wall or partition, the grooves in the adjacent faces of the slabs III are brought into registry with each other,

and a key or tongue may be fitted in such regis-.

tering grooves H either with or without the use of a filling agent. In such manner a smooth faced wall or partition may be built of the plurality of slabs I 0 so that such slabs III, are securely held in position with respect to each other.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5, 6, and '7, there is shown another embodiment of my invention in which the peripheral groove containing reinforcing such as is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are arranged on but two of the opposite side edges of the slab. Such two opposite side edges are preferably, though-not necessarily, the vertical side edges of the slab while the horizontal ends have the reinforcement formed of a length of angle iron. In such form -of my invention, the rectangular framework is formed into a unitary structure by welding or in any other suitable ;bers l6 are of heavier construction than the vertical groove members l2, and in such form of my invention Iflnd it desirable, under certain conditions, to place the material constituting the slab Ill under considerable compression. To this end, at various locations along the width of the slab ii are arranged vertical perforations l'l through each of which may pass one or more rods It, the angle iron reinforce I being drilled to allow passage of the ends of such rods II. The ends of the respective rods I8 are threaded to receive nuts I9 or equivalent, and under such nuts I 9 and in the trough formed by the angle iron reinforce l6 are placed angular faced w'ashers 20. By properly tightening the nuts I, the rods II and the material of the slab ID are placed under any degree of compression desired.

As in the structure of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, embodiments of my invention shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 have the exposed faces of the grooved reinforce members l2 disposed flush with the facial edges of the slab III, while preferably the angle iron As appears from the aforesaid embodiments of my invention, the accessibility of the metallic and/or other relatively more rigid elements of my reinforce enable the positioning thereat of mechanical means for stripping the composite building unit from the mold, upon termination of the molding process.

While I have necessarily shown and describe preferred embodiments of my invention somewhat in detail, it is to be understood that I may vary the size, shape and detail arrangement of parts constituting my improved construction without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A prefabricated building unit comprising a slab of frangible material formed from ingredients including water and giving rise to a molded product, and a rigid framework embedded in the edge faces of the slab and extending peripherally aroundthe slab, said framework comprising continuously grooved strip members having groovedefining extensions thereof embedded in the material of the slab, the strip proper being wholly flush with the respective edge faces of the slab and having its longitudinal edges spaced inwardly from the major faces of the slab to provide structural reinforcement for the saidfrangible. slab without pocketing masses of the said material between elements of the said reinforcement, thus permitting free access of the water of the said material to the major surfaces of the slab.

2. A prefabricated building unit comprising a slab of frangible material, a rigid framework embedded in the edge faces of the slab and extending peripherally around the slab, said framework comprising oppositely related continuously grooved strip members having groove-defining extensions thereof embedded in the material of the slab, the strip proper being flush with its respective edge face of the slab and having its longitudinal edges spaced inwardly from the major faces of the slab to provide means whereby the building unit may be keyed at such edge face with other structures in a building construction, said framework comprising, further, oppositely related V-strip members having the vertex of the V embedded in the material of the slab to the limit of extension of its defining leg members, and reinforcing means extending through the body of the slab and secured within the depressed portion of said V-strip members.

3. A prefabricated building unit comprising a slab of frangible material, a rigid framework embedded in the edge faces of the slab and extending peripherally around the slab, said framework comprising oppositely related continuously grooved strip members having groove-defining extensions thereof embedded in the material of the slab, the strip proper being flush with its respective edge face of the slab and having its longitudinal edges spaced inwardly from the major faces of the slab to provide means whereby the building unit may be keyed at such lateral face with other structures in a building construction, said framework comprising, further, oppositely related .V-strip members having the vertex of the V embedded in the material of the slab to the limit of extension of its defining leg members, and reinforcing means extending through the body of the slab and secured within the depressed portion of said V-strip members, said reinforcing I means being adapted for pre-stressing of the unit.

' ROBERT L. DAWSON.- 

